Lakeclan (Aquamarine1212) (LS)
Lakeclan is a Clan of cats who live in the area around The Lake. They were founded by a group of loners who banded together to offer each other support and protection. Their predecessor was The Cats Around the Lake, the unnamed and informal first attempt at uniting the cats of the lake under one banner. Lakeclan's main rival is Frostclan, a group of cats who used to be part of Lakeclan but separated from them because they were unhappy with the leadership of Lakeclan. Clan Description Lakeclan is a clan characterized mostly by their apparent indifference to water. Lakeclanners will swim and fish regularly for food. Lakeclanners have thick, water-shedding coats with woolly undercoats to keep them insulated. Their fur tends to be glossy and Lakeclanners make their coat appearance a particular point of pride. Lakeclanners are skilled swimmers and enjoy eating fish as their main source of prey. Lakeclan is seen as somewhat erratic and strange to outsiders because of their swimming habits. Lakeclanners have a very strong and charismatic presence. The name Lakeclan comes from the lake that the clan lives around. Beliefs Most Lakeclanners believe in an afterlife where cats pass on and become a spirit as part of The Ancestors. Lakeclan's beliefs center around the concept of "kriger", '''or '''the warrior spirit. This idea is essentially that each cat has their own "kriger" which acts as a sort of spiritual energy. "Kriger" are composed of six different parts, called "ka'". '''Each "ka" represents a different strength set: # '"The Claw"' - strength, courage, bravery # '"The Eye"' - spirituality, hope, resilience # '"The Fang"' - leadership, justice, morality # '"The Heart"' - compassion, empathy, social-ability # '"The Tail"' - stability, duty, balance # '"The Whisker"' - intellect, curiosity, perception Each cat has a different amount of each type of "ka". Some are more well-balanced, with near equal amounts of each "ka". Others have a singular "ka" they are exceptionally good at. Each cat has one "ka" in particular though, that they align best with. The process of finding your "ka" begins in apprenticeship. Oftentimes the medicine cats are involved in helping apprentices discover their inner selves and reveal their "ka" alignment. Leaders use this sort of "personality test" to help sort the clan into different groups based on their strengths, so that they know which cats will do best in leadership roles, which will be the best fighters, which will be best negotiators, etc. The other role that "ka" play is in deciding what type of spirit a cat becomes after death. Each "ka" corresponds to a certain element. There are six different elements in Lakeclan beliefs, each of which have their respective "ka": # '''Fire '(The Claw) # Water '(The Heart) # '''Earth '(The Tail) # 'Wind '(The Whisker) # 'Light '(The Eye) # 'Dark '(The Fang) These elemental spirits can be good or evil, depending on what the cat was like in life. Good cats become good spirits, while bad cats become bad spirits. The spirits control the weather, the seasons, natural events, and the sun, moon and stars. For this reason banishment is much more common than execution for crimes. If you kill an evil cat, they become an evil spirit and will linger on to cause disasters. The seventh special type of spirit is the '''Star '''spirit. These are the spirits of kits who passed on before they could properly develop a "ka" and serve their clan. Star spirits are believed to bring hope in times of hardship. '''Lynx Lynx have a special place in Lakeclan culture. Lynx are believed to be mages that manage and control the spirits of the dead. Lynx are impartial to the clan cats, only concerned with their personal squabbles. Some lynx have a partiality towards the evil, troublesome spirits and encourage them to wreak disaster. Some lynx favor the good spirits and bring prosperity and good fortune. Lynx are constantly battling each other for control over the spirits. In any case, a lynx sighting is a sure sign that there will soon be a shift in the spirit's power, followed by a period of either hardship or plenty. Territory Lakeclan hunts along the southwestern side of lake, which consists mostly of forest and marsh. Traditions and Ceremonies Newleaf Thaw At the start of newleaf and the end of leafbare, the river and streams in the area thaw out and run full. The thaw means that fishing season has begun. Fishing season lasts through greenleaf, and is the best time of year for Lakeclanners, as they are skilled at fishing. To celebrate the beginning of the fishing season, Lakeclan holds an all-day hunt and evening feast the day that the river is declared to be completely thawed. This is one of the most highly anticipated traditions in Lakeclan. Path Ceremony The ceremony held for when a apprentice becomes a fully recognized as a member of the clan. Up until this point, the young cat has had a one-word name. In Lakeclan, suffixes are considered sacred and must be earned. The day that a cat earns their suffix is the day they truly become part of the clan. The ceremony is preceded by the apprentice taking a two-day solo trek around the border of The Lake. Although they could easily do it in one day, they are expected to take two. This is meant to be a time for reflection before their new life as a member of the clan. Apprentices typically stop at the waterfall to make a wish or prayer, as it is believed that ghosts have often been seen in that area. After their trek, the apprentice is greeted at the campgrounds and their new name is announced. Casting of Votes When the leader of the clan dies, a vote takes place between his/her three appointed advisors. The clan decides which advisor they would like to be their next leader. This tradition began at the beginning of the clans, when their first leader Lake was decided by a vote. Spirit Journey For those cats who wish to become closer to their ancestors or to attempt to speak with them, a spirit journey is the best way to do it. Any cat may take a journey, but it is generally expected that a new leader takes a spirit journey, and the medicine cat makes periodic trips. A spirit journey is when a cat or group of cats travel to the top of the Dancing Lights Peaks. They stay there for the night and watch the colors dance across the sky. It is believed that being up in the cold peaks brings you closer to the ancestors and that it is easier for them to communicate. Clan Hierarchy Lakeclan has a system that involves eight distinct ranks that are determined by skill and age. Leader Clan leaders are responsible for managing and running the clan. Clan leaders are expected to make important decisions and maintain order and harmony within the clan. Clan leaders are given power to change and create new laws but are typically expected to listen to the advice of their selected advisors. Advisor At any given time, there are a total of three clan advisors. These advisors are selected by the leader to give them counsel and advice. Advisors are the second-in-command of the clan, and are responsible for the assignment of mentors and typically settle disputes between members. Advisors have a chance of becoming the next leader during a casting of votes. Medicine Cat Medicine cats collect herbs and heal members of the clan, as well as serve as a spokesman for the ancestors. They are considered masters of their craft. Medicine cats are typically assigned by the leader. Medicine cats hold power near equal to the leaders of the clan. There are typically only one or two medicine cats assigned at a time. They take on the role of a "senior warrior" in the clan. Member Members are the regular cats of the clan. They are usually given training in fighting and hunting. Some warriors who are interested or excel in a certain area are given extra training that focuses on their skills or interests. At this rank is when cats are given their suffix based on skill or personality. Queen Queens are mollies who are pregnant with kits or nursing them, and are typically only given the duty of raising their children. Queens are given a break from their regular duties until their kits are old enough to become apprentices. Retired Members Retired members of the clan are too old or too crippled to continue their duties. They are treated with respect in the clan for their service and cared for by the whole clan, although their family members tend to tend to them and apprentices are typically given tasks such as bringing them food and changing out moss. Apprentice Apprentices are the younger cats of the clan, who are training to be members. They are usually assigned a mentor at the beginning of their apprenticeship to teach them general skills, but if they excel in a certain area they can be given another mentor to train them specifically in the area they are interested or talented in. Kit Kits are are youngest members of the clan and live in the nursery with their mothers until they are old enough to be made apprentices. Kits are not allowed to leave camp without supervision and are considered to be the lifeblood of the clan. Kits are given one-word names at birth that they carry until they become a member and are given a suffix. Names are generally based on physical appearance. History of Ranks Leaders Minkeye *Gained Rank: Divided *Lost Rank: Wildfire *Advisors: Lakefur, Mistheart, Alderfur Lakefur *Gained Rank: Wildfire *Lost Rank: Unknown *Advisors: Mistheart, Alderfur, Pigeonwing Advisors Lakefur *Gained Rank: Wildfire *Lost Rank: Wildfire *Shared Rank With: Mistheart, Alderfur Mistheart *Gained Rank: Wildfire *Lost Rank: Unknown *Shared Rank With: Lakefur, Alderfur, Pigeonwing Alderfur *Gained Rank: Wildfire *Lost Rank : Unknown *Shared Rank With: Lakefur, Mistheart, Pigeonwing Pigeonwing * Gained Rank: Wildfire * Lost Rank: Unknown * Shared Rank With: Mistheart, Alderfur Medicine Cats Cloudberry *Gained Rank: Divided *Lost Rank: Unknown *Shared Rank With: Dapplefeather Dapplefeather *Gained Rank: Wildfire *Lost Rank: Unknown *Shared Rank With: Cloudberry Trivia *Lakeclan were named after the lake that they live around. It is purely a coincidence (at least that's what cats say) that their first leader was named Lake. *In the first drafts, Lakeclan was a group of cats who lived in the tunnels underneath the canon clan's territory, and hunted at night on their land. *The original stories focused around a cat named Leafpaw. *Lakeclan's territory resides somewhere in Norway. *The "dancing lights" are the Northern Lights. Category:Lakeclan (Aquamarine1212) Category:Clans Category:Aqua's Clans Category:Aquamarine1212